1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to increasing the accuracy of user inputs to electronic devices.
2. Background of the Invention
In the communications industry, there has been a growing trend towards increasing the functionality of certain types of communication devices. For example, in addition to supporting mobile telecommunications, many mobile telephones now also may be used to send and receive text messages and e-mails, access the Internet, take photographs, capture audio and video, and play games.
In general, as the number of functions that are provided by communication devices increase, so too does the complexity of their user interfaces. For example, user interfaces oftentimes are implemented using complex hierarchical menus. Unfortunately, such menu schemes are not always intuitive and, for some users, the menus can be very difficult to navigate. Moreover, many communication devices include buttons or keys that are susceptible to receiving un-intended user inputs or user inputs that trigger un-intended actions. An example of an un-intended user input is an accidental button depression that triggers a communication device to take a photograph while the communication device is held within one's purse or a pocket. An un-intended action can be triggered when a user enters an input believing that the communication device is in a certain mode, but the communication device actually is another mode. Unfortunately, as the functionality of typical communication devices continues to increase, so too does the likelihood of such devices receiving un-intended user inputs.